• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.140-151
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the meanings and nature of living in the world among cancer patients. The present study adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological method which was developed by van Manen. Method: The participants for this study were 5 men and 6 women, who were over the age of 20 with admission or a follow up visit in the medical or surgical department. Data were collected by using in-depth interviews and observations from February to September, 2007. The contents of the interviews were tape-recorded with the consent of the subject. Result: The essential themes that fit into the context of the 4 existential grounds of body, time, space and other people were: a body that cannot be restored, a body that endures and lives, waiting in uncertainty, a valued calculation for the living day, being in a world of invisible power, reestablishing relationships, and reflection on his or her life. Conclusion: These findings revealed that living in the world is affected to varying degrees by the cancer. It is important for nurses to identify and take care of disabilities and to support the reorientation in the disintegrated life situation. The result of this study can give nurses some insight into these experiences and help promote empathetic care.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.395-405
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a Web-based flash content for fighting spirit promotion and to test its effect on cancer patients' fighting spirit. Methods: The 15-minute long Web-based flash content was developed using the following 5 process: analysis, planning, development, program operation and evaluation stages and utilized the multiple edition and revision processes from December 2005 to August 2006. The evaluation was done by one group pretest-posttest design. Study subjects were 17 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The group were received a 2-week intervention, a day weekly, and measured the variables at baseline, 4 weeks later. The study was performed from August 2006 to February 2007 at a cancer center in Korea. Fighting spirit was measured by Mini-MAC(Mental Adjustment to Cancer). Data was analysed by descriptive statistics and paired t-test using SAS 9.13 program. Results: On the Web-based flash content, there are 4 menu bars that consisted of cancer diagnosis, symptom management, stress management, and cancer survivorship. The study group revealed significantly more fighting spirit than pre-test(t=-3.04, p=.008). Conclusion: This Web-based flash content can be utilized in psychosocial interventions for promoting fighting spirit in patients with cancer.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.135-143
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• 2002

Purpose: To explore what particular types of information were important to patients diagnosed with cancer. Methods: Seventy three patients with cancer at an outpatient clinic and hospitalized patients in W Christian Hospital Korea, responded. The structured questionnaire developed by the investigator based on previous studies. Results: There was a significant negative relationship between age and the score of informational need (r=-.307, p<.05). Level of education, and level of monthly income were related to level of informational need. The top three informational priorities according to the time since diagnosis were 'Self care during treatment', 'Health food and diet', 'Likelihood of recurrence', 'Follow up care' and 'Side effects'. The top three informational priorities for patients with breast cancer were 'Likelihood of recurrence', 'Metastasis possibility', 'Treatment options', and 'Side effects. For patients with stomach cancer, they were 'Follow up care', 'Healthy food and diet', 'Likelihood of recurrence', and 'Metastasis possibility', and for patients with colon/rectal cancer, they were 'Side effects', 'Healthy food and diet', 'Likelihood of recurrence', and 'Self care during treatment'. Conclusion: The assessment of information needs based on demographic factors and disease-related factors is critical in helping patients with cancer to manage their illness.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.148-157
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of the experience of receiving radioactive iodine therapy among patients with thyroid cancer. Methods: A qualitative research design was adopted. The participants were ten women diagnosed with thyroid cancer who had received radioactive iodine therapy within one year. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from October of 2015 to April of 2016. Individual interviews were recorded, and transcribed data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Results: The six categories of the experience of receiving radioactive iodine therapy were "Finally realizing having cancer," "The lonely fight that feels like prison life," "Narrower scope of life," "Lack of understanding by others," "Enduring a short, yet difficult journey," and "A turning point for a new life." Conclusion: This study provides deep insight into the experience of thyroid cancer patients who had received radioactive iodine therapy. Nurses should concern their distress during radioactive iodine treatment and manage psychological difficulties as well as physical symptoms. Support from family and health care providers may help them to overcome the hard journey.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.387-397
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate nutritional status and fatigue, and to identify the relationship between nutritional status and fatigue in gynecological cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: Participants were 106 outpatients who had uterine, ovary, or breast cancer and a descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Nutritional indicators including biochemical and anthropometric measures, the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) scale, and the Piper's Revised Fatigue Scale were completed. Results: About thirty-nine percent of the patients were malnourished based on the SGA. Serum hemoglobin and total lymphocyte levels were less than the normal ranges, although anthropometrics were normal. The women experienced moderate fatigue with a mean score of $5.84{\pm}2.00$. Nutritional status was significantly different by age, education, employment status, and monthly income. The women also had different nutritional status and fatigue depending on the type of cancer and chemotherapy. Fatigue was significantly related to SGA scores, serum hemoglobin, triceps skinfold thickness and mid-arm muscle circumference. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight an urgent need to provide adequate nutritional support and fatigue management with individualized strategies for gynecological cancer patients on chemotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.495-503
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• 2008

Purpose: To date most research related to patients with breast cancer has discriminately investigated the status within or after the treatment although the patients demand holistic nursing care from the time of diagnosis. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the trajectory of breast cancer diagnosis and patients' experiences in the pre-treatment period. Method: This qualitative study used qualitative thematic analysis. Nineteen Korean women who were diagnosed with breast cancer within the last 6 month participated in the study. Individualized interviews were conducted with each participant in a cancer center in K city. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the thematic analysis process. Results: The overriding theme was "the scattered life in an unforeseen swirl", which illustrates the participants' unexpected crisis with confusion and emotional distress. Two subthemes included "falling into an unavoidable journey", and "staggering in a muddle with urgency". The categories were "unexpected probability", "nagging nodularity", "ominous presentiment", "emotional upheaval", "bad thought intrusion", and "a sense of urgency". Conclusion: Patients in the pre-treatment period encountered utter emotional distress and a sense of urgency after being diagnosed breast cancer. Strategies to develop nursing care for patients in this period and nursing implications are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.907-915
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• 2012

Purpose: A diagnosis of breast cancer is one of the most traumatic events that threatens a woman's life, but while women adapt to and overcome these threats, they not only experience negative aspects, but also growth. The purpose of this study was to identify the many factors that affect growth, and to provide fundamental information for nursing interventions, which can help the women in their growth. Methods: The participants in this study were 131 married women patients with breast cancer, who were on medical treatment in one of two university hospitals, in Seoul and Chungnam. Data were collected for posttraumatic growth, self-esteem, cancer coping questionnaire, marital intimacy, and body image. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 19.0 program (IBM). Results: Interpersonal cancer coping, intrapersonal cancer coping (planning) and self-esteem accounted for 29.0% of posttraumatic growth. Conclusion: These findings indicate that in order to help the women's growth after the trauma of breast cancer, it is necessary to enhance their self-esteem, and to develop psycho-social nursing supportive programs.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.433-445
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess changes in pain, fatigue, anorexia, anxiety and quality of life(QOL) in patients with cancer who were on chemotherapy. Methods: Symptoms and QOL were examined both before chemotherapy and after 2 cycles of chemotherapy. The participants were 76 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in one of 7 hospitals. Results: The patients experienced a mean of 2.22-2.23 symptoms out of 4 symptoms. Patients who were female, or suffered from breast or colorectal cancer experienced more symptoms. Fatigue at present, and most severe fatigue and anorexia in the previous 3 weeks increased significantly. Anxiety and QOL decreased significantly after 2 cycles of chemotherapy. Number of symptoms, anorexia at present, most severe anorexia in past 3 weeks, and anxiety had negative correlations. QOL before chemotherapy showed a positive correlation with QOL after 2 cycles of chemotherapy. In a regression analysis, anxiety, QOL at baseline, income, and the most severe pain in the past 3 weeks were significant predictors of QOL. Conclusion: Physical and psychological factors were significant predictors of both QOL and each subscale, and these factors correlated with each other. These results demonstrate the needs for early assessment and intervention from the start of chemotherapy to decrease symptoms and improve QOL.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.446-457
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to evaluate the effects of psychosocial interventions on cortisol and immune response in adult patients with cancer. Methods: MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Library CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL and domestic electronic databases were searched. Twenty controlled trials (11 randomized and 9 non-randomized trials) met the inclusion criteria with a total of 862 participants. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane's Risk of Bias for randomized studies and the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non randomized studies. Data were analyzed using the RevMan 5.2.11 program of Cochrane library. Results: Overall, study quality was moderate to high. The weighted average effect size across studies was -0.32 (95% CI [-0.56, -0.07], p=.010, $I^2 $=45%) for cortisol concentration, -0.62 (95%CI [-0.96,-0.29], p<.001, $I^2 $=0%) for T lymphocyte (CD3) and -0.45 (95%CI [-0.74, -0.16], p=.003, $I^2 $=0%) for Th lymphocyte (CD4) numbers. Psychosocial interventions were not effective for Tc lymphocyte (CD4), NK cell, monocyte, and cytokine response. Conclusion: Although these results provide only small evidence of successful immune modulation, they support the conclusion that psychosocial interventions can assist cancer patients in reducing emotional distress and improving immune response.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.658-668
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of psychosocial interventions on pain in cancer patients. Methods: Eight studies published between 1980 and 2012 in Korean and ten studies published between 2002 and 2012 in English met the inclusion criteria with a total of 1539 participants. Methodological quality assessed by Cochrane's Risk of Bias for randomized studies and Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non randomized studies. The data were analyzed by the RevMan 5.2 program of Cochrane library. Results: Overall, study quality was moderate to high. Effect sizes were heterogeneous and subgroup analysis was done. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) were effective for pain (ES= -0.35; 95% CI= -0.56, -0.13). Pain education studies measured with NRS and VAS were effective for pain (ES= -0.77; 95% CI= -1.01, -0.52). Publication bias was not detected. Conclusion: This study support the use of psychosocial interventions administered to cancer patients for their pain management. However, more well-designed studies are needed.